Mauritius to hold elections on September 11

Ramgoolam on Thursday said he had called an early vote because a by-election had been set for October 8 and, with the general elections originally scheduled for the first half of next year, the small Indian ocean island risked being in a ''permanent election campaign''.

''I talked to the president and I am announcing that the
general election will be held on September 11,'' Ramgoolam told a news conference.

President Cassam Uteem dissolved parliament earlier on Thursday. The original deadline for dissolving the national assembly ahead of new elections was January 11, 2001 and the decision to act now came in the wake of a series of government corruption scandals.
But Ramgoolam said the corruption scandal was not a factor in his decision.